The invention relates to a device for mounting a part on the body of a motor vehicle.
The invention relates more particularly to a device for mounting a part, such as a support for mounting a bodywork element, on the body of a motor vehicle, of the type comprising means for positioning the part relative to the body in a determined position, called the fastening position, that is defined geometrically in a reference trihedron (X, Y, Z) formed by the longitudinal axis X, the transverse axis Y and the vertical axis Z of the body, so as to proceed in particular to fasten the part, thus positioned, on the body of the vehicle.
Many devices of this type are known that are used at the stations of an assembly line designed for the manufacture of the vehicle in order to carry out there the mounting of various parts on the body of a vehicle, such as supports, bodywork elements or opening elements.
To do this, automated devices are usually used comprising in particular very complex tools such as robotic arms that are mounted so as to be movable in order to carry out assemblies “on the move”, that is to say that are capable of moving along the assembly line at the same time as the body.
Such mounting devices are for example capable of picking up a part thanks to gripping means of the sucker type from a storage station and of positioning this part relative to the body in a determined geometric position that is defined relative to the body in order to fasten the part to the body.
Specifically, in the case of mounting a part, such as a bodywork element support, it is first positioned relative to the body and then it is fastened to the body by means of appropriate conventional fastening means.
In the case of a supporting part for a bodywork element, it is imperative to control with precision and repetitively the correct positioning of the part to be fastened to the body since that also determines the positioning of the bodywork element that will be mounted later.
Therefore, precision in the positioning of the supporting part during mounting and in fastening makes it possible to ensure that a good quality of assembly of the elements is obtained, in particular their positioning flush with one another in the case of a bodywork element such as a side wing or else an engine hood.
The mounting devices according to the prior art require many controls, often complex to study and design, that require considerable perfection time on the assembly line.
In addition, although having autonomous operation, such devices require regular maintenance operations that then cause stoppages of the station, and even of the assembly line, which are damaging in terms of productivity and are therefore particularly costly.
In addition, each device is usually, from its conception, dedicated to mounting a particular part at a given station on a determined assembly line so the devices can be readapted little or not at all to new stations of new lines designed in particular for the production of a new vehicle.
Consequently, the devices comprising positioning means that are known in the prior art are not fully satisfactory.